Research Assistant in Biomathematics Ref: 40841 (Fixed Term)
Location
Brighton, UK
Hours
Full-time considered up to a maximum of 1.0 FTE (36.5 hours) Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need).
Grade 6 starting at £34,132 to £38,249 per annum, pro rata if part time.
Contract Type
Fixed Term Contract
About the role
The Department of Mathematics at the University of Sussex is inviting applications for a fixed term early career research position centred on advancing ecological modelling of soil microbial communities.
In this role, you will develop hybrid species distribution models that combine climate and landscape data to predict how microbial taxa niches shift under changing land use and environmental conditions. Your work will involve analysing complex spatial and temporal datasets, integrating mechanistic and correlative approaches to understand biodiversity patterns and their drivers.
The post is part of the Bioservices project, funded by the UKRI-Horizon Europe and aiming to improve understanding of soil biodiversity and ecosystem functions under environmental change.
The role includes collaboration with an international team of researchers and the application of your findings to improve predictions of ecosystem responses to environmental change. You will contribute to creating tools that support sustainable land management and policy decisions.
About you
We are seeking a candidate with a strong background in mathematical biology, ecological modelling, or biostatistics and a strong interest in ecological or species distribution modelling.
Prospective candidates should hold a PhD in Mathematics or be in the final stages of writing up their PhD thesis and have submitted by the start date of the position. Equivalent research experience will also be considered. You should have familiarity in handling large and complex datasets and skilled in programming languages such as R or Python.
The ideal candidate will be capable of some independent research as well as effective teamwork, with clear communication skills for engaging with colleagues and external collaborators. A strong interest in interdisciplinary research and applying mathematical techniques to ecological data and environmental challenges is highly desirable.
About our School
We are a research-intensive School that simultaneously delivers outstanding teaching to our students. As such we aim to be consistently recognised as truly world leading in key areas of our science, by extending the international excellence, impact and visibility of our research. We aim to be within the top UK universities in our discipline areas, attracting high-quality students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
We will establish a reputation as having a particularly open, stimulating, collaborative and supportive working environment for both staff and students, enabling the best possible outcomes for research, teaching and learning. We will further enhance our links with non-academic actors on local, national and international scales, and will maximize the impact of our work.
The School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences is proud to hold a Bronze Athena Swan Award.
Why work here
Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.
Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.
Candidates should include in their application the following:
* Academic CV
* A personal statement (500 words maximum) outlining their research interests and their research experience to date
* Official academic transcripts
The University is committed to equality and valuing diversity, and applications are particularly welcomed from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM) at Sussex.
Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.
The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.
If you are experiencing any issues using our application portal or if you require adjustments to be made to the selection process, please contact us on (01273) 873743 or recruitmentadministration@sussex.ac.uk to discuss your requirements.
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